Winding up mechanism for time-pieces



Sept 15, 195 P. E. REYMOND WINDING u MECHANISM FOR TIME-PIECES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. '7, 1955 INVENTOR Fau/E'Ke mam! A51 4 1. W I I ATTORNEY Sept. 15, 1959 P. E. REYMOND WINDING UP MECHANISM FOR TIME-PIECES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 7, 1955 I l i l n y R mm Nmk E R W V N 4 P y 8 United States Patent Office Patented Sept. 15, 1959 WINDING UP MECHANISM FOR TIME-PIECES Paul E. Reymond, LOrient, Switzerland Application January 7, 1955, Serial No. 480,558

Claims priority, application Switzerland July 10, 1954 '4 Claims. (Cl. 58-46) My invention has for its object a winding up mechanism for time-pieces such as those fitted in vehicle dashboards inter alia, said mechanism being associated with means for disengaging it before the main spring is overwound and for reengaging it when the main spring has unwound by a predetermined amount without however preventing the complete unwinding of said main spring in the case of the winding up mechanism becoming inoperative; these means are controlled by a sun-and-planet gear the planet pinion of which meshes with two sunwheels driven respectively by the barrel arbor and by the barrel drum.

According to my invention, the winding up mechanism includes a first rocker lever submitted to the action of a shiftable spring of which one end is attached to a point of said rocker lever while its other end is secured to a stationary point on the time-piece frame or case, said shiftable spring being adapted to occupy two released positions located to either side of the line connecting the pivot of the rocker lever with the stationary point of attachment of the spring, said first rocker lever being controlled by the planet pinion of the sun-and-planet gear and controlling in its turn a second rocker lever adapted to engage and disengage the gear connecting the Winding up mechanism with the main spring; this arrangement is such that when the main spring is completely wound up, said mechanism is disconnected and when the main spring has expanded through a predetermined arc, it shifts gradually the first rocker lever and sets the shiftable spring until the main spring having travelled through the entire length of the above mentioned are, it enters suddenly its inoperative position and shifts instantaneously the first rocker lever which, through the agency of the second rocker lever, reengages again the above mechanism, the same procedure being performed in the opposite direction when the main spring has been completely wound again at the end of its return travel through said arc.

I have illustrated by way of example, in accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention. In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of said embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section through line III-III of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views illustrating the operation of the parts shown in Fig. 2 for two different positions thereof.

The time-piece illustrated which is assumed to be mounted on a vehicle, includes a main spring barrel 1 the outer teeth 2 of which control the clockwork of the watch, while the barrel arbor 3 connected in the conventional manner with the barrel drum 1a by the main spring S illustrated diagrammatically carries a winding up ratchet wheel 4 cooperating with its driving catch 5 which is in its turn controlled through the agency of a Bowden cable 6 by the revolution meter or odometer of the vehicle. A sun-and-planet gear is mounted at 7 underneath the plate 8.

The Bowden cable 6 acts on a rod 9 revolubly secured to the case of the clockwork and carrying an eccentric 10 cooperating with the driving catch 5 so as to make the latter reciprocate, as provided through the engagement of the eccentric in a circular recess at the rear end of the catch. A blade spring 11 is secured to the case at 12 so as to engage the driving catch 5 and the retaining pawl 13.

The barrel arbor 3 carries a pinion 14 acting through an intermediate gear 15, revolubly secured to the underside of the plate 8', on the sunwheel 16 of the sun-andplanet gear 7. The sun-wheel 17 of the said gear is controlled directly by a pinion 18 coaxially rigid with the barrel drum. The planet wheel 19 cooperating with the inwardly facing teeth 16a and 17a raised on the sunwheels 16 and 17, controls the spindle 20 carrying a nose or projection 21 and forms the planet carrier. The plate 8 and pillar plate 8' forming part of the mechanism framework are illustrated, said plate 8 carrying a pin 23 to which is pivotally secured a rocker lever 22. The latter carries two pins 24 and 24:: located to either side of the projection 21 on the spindle 20 and adapted to cooperate with the latter. The outer end of said rocker lever carries two stops 25 and 25a engaging a second rocker lever 27 pivotally secured to the same pin 23 as the first rocker lever, the engagement of the stops 25 and 25a with the second rocker lever being performed through a pin 26 secured to the latter. The outer end of said second rocker lever is provided with two stops 28 and 28a interconnected by a sloping edge 29 adapted to cooperate with a pin 30' secured to the driving catch 5 with a view to urging the latter into and out of engaging with the ratchet wheel 4.

A shiftable spring 31 secured to the frame at 32 is attached to the rocker lever 22 at a point 33 so as to be capable of occupying two released positions of which one is illustrated in Fig. 2 and the other in Fig. 5, the intermediate position illustrated in Fig. 4, forming a position of unstable equilibrium.

Fig. 2 illustrates the position of the different parts of the mechanism in the position for which, the shiftable spring 31 being in an extreme released position, the catch 5 engages the ratchet wheel 4 and winds the main spring through the agency of the barrel arbor 3. During the winding up procedure, the pinion 14 rigid with the arbor 3 drives, through the pinion 15, the sunwheel 16 and the planet pinion 19, the spindle 20 the nose 21 on which shifts gradually the rocker lever 22 out of the position illustrated in Fig. 2 through the agency of the pin 24 on the latter. When the rocker lever enters the intermediate position illustrated in Fig. 4, the shiftable spring 31 the end 33 of which is secured to the rocker lever 22 is now on the line connecting the pivot 23 with the stationary end 32 of the shiftable spring, assumes suddenly its released position for which it urges the catch away from the ratched wheel through the agency of the second rocker lever 27 engaged by the pin 26 as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The winding-up being executed, the barrel drum revolves and drives the spindle 20 clockwise through the agency of the pinion 18, the sun wheel 17 and the planet pinion 19. When the nose 21 rigid with the spindle 20 has travelled through a predetermined are, it carries along with it the rocker lever 22 through the agency of the pin 24a so that the rocker lever 22 moves in the direction opposed to that described hereinabove, whereby the winding-up procedure is resumed as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Obviously, my invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and, in particular, the time-piece may be wound automatically otherwise than through the revolution meter or milemeter of the vehicle; it may, in fact, be a time-piece which is not intended for use in a vehicle and is wound e.g. by means of an oscillating mass.

As stated, in case of failure of the winding-up means,

this does not disturb a continued unwinding of the mainspring, by reason of the insertion of the sun-and-planet gear between the arbor and drum of the barrel.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a time-piece comprising a framework plate, a main spring, a barrel arbor and a barrel drum coaxial therewith and between which the main spring is fitted, said barrel arbor and drum being adapted to revolve coaxially and independently with reference to the plate, the combination of a ratchet wheel coaxially rigid with the barrel arbor, winding up means including a reciprocating catch controlling the ratchet wheel, a sun and planet gear extending between the plane of the ratchet wheel and the plane of the barrel drum facing the latter, said gear including coaxial sun wheels controlled respectively by the arbor and by the barrel drum, a planet pinion controlled simultaneously by said sun wheels and a planet pinion carrier coaxial with the sunwheels and on which the planet pinion is carried to revolve round an axis radial with reference to the axis of the sun wheels, a first cam adapted to lock and release selectively the winding up catch and pivoting in a plane parallel with and adjacent the plane of the ratchet wheel, a second cam adapted to pivot round the same axis as the first cam in a plane parallel with and close to the plane of movement of the latter, a spring connecting the second cam with a stationary point of the framework plate and adapted to urge said second cam to either side of a predetermined angular position of unstable equilibrium selectively into two extreme positions, a part rigid with the planet pinion carrier of the sun and planet gear and engaging the second cam to shift the latter selectively to either side of said predetermined position in either direction, the shifting of the second cam producing operation of its spring urging said second cam into its corresponding extreme position, and means whereby the second cam when entering one of its extreme positions shifts angularly the first cam into its catch-releasing and locking positions respectively.

2. In combination with a time-piece comprising a framework plate, a main spring, a barrel arbor and a barrel drum coaxial therewith and between which the main spring is fitted, said barrel arbor and drum being adapted to revolve coaxially and independently with reference to the plate, the combination of a ratchet wheel coaxially rigid with the barrel arbor, winding up means including a reciprocating catch controlling the ratchet wheel, a sun and planet gear extending between the plane of the ratchet wheel and the plane of the barrel drum facing the latter, said gear including coaxial sun wheels controlled respectively by the arbor and by the barrel drum, a planet pinion controlled by said sunwheels and a planet pinion carrier coaxial with the sunwheels and on which the planet pinion is revolubly mounted to rotate round an axis radial with reference to the sunwheel axis, a first cam adapted to lock and release selectively the winding up catch and pivoting in a plane parallel with and adjacent the plane of the ratchet wheel, a second cam adapted to pivot round the same axis as the first cam in a plane parallel with and close to the plane of movement of the latter, a spring connecting the second cam with a stationary point of the framework plate and adapted to urge said second cam to either side of a predetermined angular position of unstable equilibrium selectively into two extreme positions, a part rigid with the planet pinion carrier of the sun and planet gear and engaging the second cam to shift the latter selectively to either side of said predetermined position when the planet carrier has reached one of two predetermined positions, the shifting of the second cam producing operation of its spring urging said second cam into its corresponding extreme position, two angularly spaced stops rigid with the second cam at substantially equal distances from the pivotal axis thereof, a stop rigid with the first cam and selectively engageable by the stops on the Second cam to be urged thereby into positions for which the first cam releases and locks the catch respectively.

3. In combination with a time-piece comprising a. framework plate, a main spring, a barrel arbor and a barrel drum coaxial therewith and between which the main spring is fitted, said barrel arbor and drum being adapted to revolve coaxially and independently with reference to the plate, the combination of a ratchet wheel coaxially rigid with the barrel arbor, winding up means including a reciprocating catch controlling the ratchet wheel, a sun and planet gear extending between the plane of the ratchet wheel and the plane of the barrel drum facing the latter, said gear including coaxial sunwheels controlled respectively by the arbor and by the barrel drum, a planet pinion controlled by said sunwheels and a planet pinion carrier coaxial with the sunwheels, and on which the planet pinion is adapted to rotate round an axis radial with reference to the sunwheel axis to move towards two predetermined angular positions to either side of a neutral position, a first cam adapted to lock and release selectively the winding up catch and pivoting in a plane parallel with and adjacent the plane of the ratchet wheel, a second cam adapted to pivot round the same axis as the first cam in a plane parallel with and close to the plane of movement of the latter, a spring connecting the second cam with a stationary point of the framework plate and adapted to urge said second cam to either side of a predetermined angular position of unstable equilibrium selectively into two extreme positions, a projection on the planet pinion carrier revolving therewith in a plane adjacent the second cam, two angularly spaced stops on said second cam located angularly to either side of the projection on the planet carrier in the path thereof and adapted to be engaged selectively by the said projection whenever the planet carrier has rotated through a predetermined angle towards the stop considered, engagement of either stop by the said projection providing a shifting of the second cam away from its position of unstable equilibrium, the shifting of the second cam in either direction producing operation of its spring urging said second cam into its corresponding extreme position, two further abutments spaced symmetrically inside the first mentioned stops and rigid with the second cam at substantially equal distances from the pivot al axis thereof, a stop rigid with the first cam and selectively engageable by the abutments on the second cam to be urged thereby into positions for which the first cam releases and locks the catch respectively.

4. In combination with a time-piece comprising a framework plate, a main spring, a barrel arbor and a barrel drum coaxial therewith and between which the main spring is fitted, said barrel arbor and drum being adapted to revolve coaxially and independently with reference to the plate, the combination of a ratchet wheel coaxially rigid with the barrel arbor, winding up means including a winding up member, an eccentric controlled by said member, a catch controlled by said eccentric and adapted to assume a reciprocatory movement under the action of said eccentric and to actuate the ratchet wheel, a sun and planet gear extending between the plane of the ratchet wheel and the plane of the barrel drum facing the latter, said gear including coaxial sunwheels controlled respectively by the arbor and by the barrel drum, a planet pinion controlled by said sunwheels and a planet pinion carrier coaxial with the sunwheels and on which the planet pinion rotates round an axis radial with reference to the sunwheel axis, said planet carrier being adapted to move away from a neutral position towards two predetermined operative positions, a first cam adapted to lock and release selectively the winding up catch and pivoting in a plane parallel with and adjacent the plane of the ratchet wheel, a second cam adapted to pivot round the same axis as the first cam in a plane parallel with and close to the plane of movement of the latter, a spring conllfi i g the second cam with a stationary point of the framework plate and adapted to urge said second cam by the second cam when entering one of its extreme posito either side of a predetermined angular position of untions shifts angularly the first oam into its catch-releasing stable equilibrium selectively into two extreme positions, and locking positions respectively.

a part rigid with the planet pinion carrier of the sun and planet gear and engaging the second cam to shift the lat- 5 References Clted m the file of thls Patent ter selectively to either side of said predetermined posi- UNITED STATES PATENTS q w e h ge Carriergasfiachedfatfiredetenfined 2,709,332 Meyer May 31, 1955 pos1t1on 1n e1t er lrection, t e s i ting o e secon cam producing operation of its spring urging said second cam F OREIGN PATENTS into its corresponding extreme position, and means where- 10 2 9 Switzerland June 1, 1953 

